Bone splitting and breaking tool

ABSTRACT

A bone breaking or crushing tool for use by a hunter is designed to break the pelvic bone of a game animal. The bone breaking tool includes a U-shaped body having first and second arms joined by a front end. A handle projects at an angle from an outer side of a first arm of the U-shaped main body. A projection is formed on an inner side of the first arm of the U-shaped main body. The bone breaking tool is configured so that the first and second arms of the U-shaped main body can be slid around either side of a portion of the pelvic bone of a game animal. A hunter can then apply a force to an end of the handle to drive the projection on the inner side of the first arm into the pelvic bone to break or crush the pelvic bone.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a pelvic bone splitter or breaking tool. Thetool is primarily used to sever or split/break the pelvic bone of gameanimals such as deer. Splitting the pelvic bone opens the body cavity ofthe animal to facilitate the removal of digestive and excretory organs.

Hunters typically field-dress game animals near where the prey isfelled. Failure to empty the body cavity of digestive and excretoryorgans promptly can cause the meat to have a strong, gamey taste orsmell. However, hunters must take care not to cut or puncture any ofthose organs. Those organs contain contaminants such as urine, feces, ordigestive fluids that can contaminate the meat.

Hunters often use hunting knives to field dress their game. Whilepractical and convenient, hunting knives are generally ineffective forsevering large bones. The obstacle presented by the pelvic bone oftencauses a hunter to unintentionally cut or puncture an organ, exposingthe meat to contaminants.

Because splitting the pelvic bone reduces the risk of accidentalcontamination, hunters employ various tools and methods to split thepelvic bone. Some try to cleave the bone using an axe. Others use a rockto strike the back edge of a knife blade while holding the sharpenededge against the bone. Still others use saws. Each of those tools andmethods has drawbacks.

Using a rock to strike a knife blade is both dangerous and difficult.Personal injury or inadvertent contamination may occur. An axe iscumbersome, heavy, and sharp. Simply carrying an axe suitable for thejob while hunting is undesirable. Further its use could also lead topersonal injury or inadvertent contamination. A saw is safer to use, butmay still lead to inadvertent contamination. Using a saw is slow andrequires substantial effort. It is also sharp and cumbersome to carry.

Pelvic bone splitting tools that rely on impact from an integral slidingweight are safer and more effective. Their main disadvantage, however,is the weight of the tool. To deliver a blow sufficient to sever apelvic bone, the weight must be substantial. The substantial weight canbe a burden for a hunter to bear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a first embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a second embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a third embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a pelvic bonebreaking tool;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the fourth embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a pelvic bonebreaking tool;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the fifth embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool;

FIG. 8 is a top view of a sixth embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a seventh embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool;

FIG. 10 is a top view of an eighth embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool; and

FIG. 11 is a top view of a ninth embodiment of a pelvic bone breakingtool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A pelvic bone breaking tool embodying the invention provides a number offeatures to assist a hunter in field dressing game, such as deer. Thetool may include a generally U-shaped main body, with a projection thatis designed to bear against the pelvic bone of the game animal. A handleextends away from the main body at an angle. When the tool is positionedso that the pelvic girdle of the game animal is within the aperture ofthe U-shaped main body, the user can push downward on the handle toforce the projection against the pelvic bone. When sufficient force isapplied to the handle, the projection will break the pelvic bone.

A first embodiment of the tool is illustrated in FIG. 1. As showntherein, the tool includes a U-shaped main body 10. The two arms of theU-shaped main body 10 are joined by a front end 12, and an aperture 13is formed between the two arms of the main body 10. A handle 16 extendsaway from the main body 10 at an angle.

A projection 18 is located on the rear end of one arm of the U-shapedmain body 10 adjacent a location where the handle 16 joins the main body10. A pointed tip 14 is located at the rear end of the other arm of theU-shaped main body 10.

To use the tool, the hunter would position the tool such that the pelvicbone is received in the aperture 13 between the two arms of the U-shapedmain body 10. The projection 18 would bear against approximately thecenter of the pelvic bone of the game animal. The hunter would then pushdownward on the handle 16 to drive the projection 18 into the top of thepelvic bone and to thereby break the pelvic bone.

The tool can be positioned against the pelvic bone of the game animal inmultiple different ways. The tool could be positioned so that theprojection 18 bears against the top of the pelvic bone, or it could bepositioned so that the projection bears against the underside of thepelvic bone. Also, the tool could be positioned so that the handle 16extends rearward or forward.

A second embodiment of the tool is illustrated in FIG. 2. In thisembodiment, the projection 18 comes to a sharper point and extendsfurther away from the aim upon which it is formed.

A third embodiment of the tool is illustrated in FIG. 3. In thisembodiment, serrated teeth 19 are formed on the atm of the U-shaped body10 opposite the projection 18. The serrated teeth 19 are designed toprovide a better grip so that the tool does not slip when in use.Although the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 shows serrated teeth 19 onthe lower arm opposite the projection 18, serrated teeth could also beprovided on the upper arm. The teeth could have any form other than theones shown in FIG. 3. In addition, structures other than teeth couldalso be formed on the lower and/or upper arm, so long as the structuresincrease the ability of the tool to grip and not slip while in use. Forexample, a series of pointed protrusions could be provided instead ofteeth.

The third embodiment also includes a projection 17 formed at the end ofthe handle 16. The projection 17 extends from the end of the handle 16in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of the handle 16. The projection 17 provides a broad surface thatcan rest across the palm of a user's hand as the user is pushing down onthe handle 16. Thus, the projection 17 makes it easier and morecomfortable for the user to apply significant force to the end of thehandle 16.

A fourth embodiment of the tool is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In thisembodiment, the projection 18 is formed on a rearwardly extendingportion 20 that projects backward from the U-shaped main body 10, andbehind the point at which the handle 16 joins the U-shaped main body 10.

A fifth embodiment of the tool is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. Thisembodiment is similar to the fourth embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4and 5, however, the inner surfaces of the arms of the U-shaped main body10 and the projection 18 are angled to form a ridge or a point at thecenter of those elements. Angling these surfaces may help to preventslippage of the tool in use. Also, angling these surfaces increases theforce per unit of area that is applied to the portions of the gameanimal engaged by the surfaces.

FIG. 8 illustrates a sixth embodiment of the tool. In this embodiment,the handle 16 is joined to an end portion of one of the arms of theU-shaped main body 10. However, the tool includes a large rounded knob30 that extends rearward from the point at which the handle 16 joins theU-shaped main body 10. The rounded knob 30 also extends rearward anddownward from the first arm of the U-shaped main body toward theopposite arm.

FIG. 9 illustrates a seventh embodiment of the tool. In this embodiment,the handle 16 is joined to a center portion of the main body 10. Also,the two arms of the U-shaped main body are substantially the samelength, and serrated teeth 19 are formed on both arms of the U-shapedmain body 10. Because the handle 16 is joined to a central portion ofthe U-shaped main body 10, the overall length of the tool is shorterthan the other embodiments discussed above, which may make it easier fora hunter to pack and/or carry the tool.

FIG. 10 illustrates an eighth embodiment of the tool. This embodimenthas a U-shaped main body 10 with approximately equal length arms. Also,the handle 16 is joined to a central portion of the U-shaped main body10, similar to the seventh embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9. Thisembodiment also includes teeth 19 on inner surfaces of both arms of theU-shaped main body 10. However, this embodiment also includes a roundedknob 20 that extends rearward from the U-shaped main body 10. Unlike theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the rounded knob first extends upwardtoward the handle 16, and then the rounded knob 20 extends backdownward.

FIG. 11 illustrated a ninth embodiment of the tool. This embodiment issimilar to the eighth embodiment discussed above, however, the roundedknob extends farther rearward and upward before turning back downward.

A tool as illustrated in FIGS. 1-11 can be formed of any suitably rigidmaterial. Preferably, the tool is formed of metal. Depending on thestrength of the metal, the tool can be formed to varying thicknesses.Also, the dimensions of the tool can be altered to suit the game animalupon which the tool is used. Thus, multiple different sized tools couldbe carried by a hunter to deal with multiple different sized gameanimals.

Because of the unitary construction of the tool, the tool is compact andlight in weight. Also, there are no moving parts that can break. Thesefactors make the tool relatively inexpensive to produce, easy to carry,and durable.

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedisclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

1. A tool to be used by a hunter for cutting, breaking or crushing abone of a game animal, comprising: a U-shaped main body having first andsecond arms joined by a front end; a handle that projects from an outerside of an end of the first arm that is located opposite from the frontend; and a projection formed on an inner side of the first arm.
 2. Thetool of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped main body is configured to receivea pelvic bone of a game animal such that the tool can be used to breakthe pelvic bone.
 3. The tool of claim 1, wherein the handle extends atan angle from the outer side of the first arm of the U-shaped main bodyand in a rearward direction away from the front end.
 4. The tool ofclaim 3, wherein an angle formed between a longitudinal axis of thefirst arm of the U-shaped main body and a longitudinal axis of thehandle is between approximately 120° and 150°.
 5. The tool of claim 1,wherein the first arm of the U-shaped main body is longer than thesecond arm of the U-shaped main body, and wherein the projection isformed on a portion of the first arm that extends beyond an end of thesecond arm.
 6. The tool of claim 1, wherein an end of the second arm ofthe U-shaped main body is pointed.
 7. The tool of claim 1, whereinraised elements configured to provide friction are formed on an innerside of the second arm of the U-shaped main body.
 8. The tool of claim1, wherein an inner side of the projection is angled such that the innerside of the projection forms a ridge or a point.
 9. The tool of claim 8,wherein an inner side of the first arm of the U-shaped main body isangled such that the inner side of the first arm forms a ridge.
 10. Thetool of claim 1, wherein a projection is formed at an end of the handle,the projection extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinalaxis of the handle.
 11. The tool of claim 10, wherein the projectionextends from opposite sides of the end of the handle.
 12. The tool ofclaim 1, wherein the first arm of the U-shaped main body is longer thanthe second arm of the U-shaped main body.
 13. A tool to be used by ahunter for cutting, breaking or crushing a bone of a game animal,comprising: a U-shaped main body having first and second arms joined bya front end; a handle that projects from the U-shaped main body; areawardly projecting portion that extends rearward from an end of thefirst arm that is opposite from the front end; and a projection formedon the rearwardly projecting portion.
 14. The tool of claim 13, whereinthe handle extends rearwardly at an angle from an end of the first armof the U-shaped main body.
 15. The tool of claim 13, wherein theprojection ends in a rounded knob.
 16. The tool of claim 13, wherein therearwardly projecting portion extends from the end of the first arm in adirection toward the second arm.
 17. The tool of claim 13, wherein therearwardly projecting portion extends from the end of the first arm in adirection away from the second arm.
 18. The tool of claim 13, whereinthe handle joins the first arm of the U-shaped main body at a centralportion of the U-shaped main body.
 19. A tool to be used by a hunter forcutting, breaking or crushing a bone of a game animal, comprising: aU-shaped main body having first and second arms of approximately equallength joined by a front end; a handle that projects at an angle from acentral portion of the U-shaped main body; and a projection that extendsrearward from an end of the first arm that is opposite from the frontend.